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Talk:Walter (vampire)
Performer Someone keeps changing the performer here from Martin P. Robinson to Jerry Nelson. Watch the clip on youtube. I'm certain it's not Jerry. Garrettk41 20:31, 9 April 2009 (UTC) :Garrett, you just might not have the best ear. Walter is unquestionably Jerry Nelson. The original unreliable poster claimed it was Whitmire, which I'd corrected. I don't think we'd noticed that you'd changed it to Robinson in January (without an edit summary or explanation), and upon seeing it, User:Oscarfan changed it back. Listen closely to the second two lines (I can see how the first might be confusing), and note that Jerry Nelson also voices the announcer. -- Andrew Leal (talk) 20:37, 9 April 2009 (UTC) ::I don't know, Andrew. You seem pretty confident, but I listened to his lines a few times, and carefully at that, and I'm just not convinced. I know I'm not the web master and am not claiming to be more of an expert than anyone, but Nelson was one of the first performers I learned how to tell from others, and I just don't hear his voice in Walter. Call me stubborn if you want, but I just don't. You're right about Nelson being the announcer, that I knew from the start, and Walter doesn't certainly sound anything like Steve Whitmire. I think he sounds more like a younger Vincent Twice myself. ::Again, I hope you don't think I'm trying to get a rise out of anyone. I just have my doubts. But if we can prove that I'm wrong and it is indeed Nelson, I'll be glad to admit it. Garrettk41 20:58, 9 April 2009 (UTC) :::I am confident (voice identification is tricky and subjective, of course, but I have been doing this for a few decades now, from radio to animation to Muppets, usually later able to confirm with the performer in question in fact or with demos but that doesn't apply here). No offense either, Garrett, but on other pages, you admit you're guessing or just list random names. Nelson's versatile, after all, and the syllables are drawn out. It's not Robinson's texture, and it's not the Vincent Twice voice. It's a lower Nelson, which he's used quite often, just primarily for announcers (who here is pitched at a hush); the very best example is, in fact, The Announcer in his straighter lines, and the perfect comparisons are from The Muppet Show Episode 501: Gene Kelly, as heard here and here (especially the "I sprained my ankle" line). There's always a problem area with minor characters with few lines (one reason not every such character needs a page), but we go by consensus in that case. I put a talk tag on in case, and linked the clip on top so others can feel free to weigh in. If there's any dispute, though I don't think this is going to be another Egyptian Ernie (who sounds different to almost literally every user), we'll go with the performer unknown box. -- Andrew Leal (talk) 21:24, 9 April 2009 (UTC) ::::I just watched those clips. Yes, there is a similarity, though I never would have thought that announcer was anyone other than Nelson. But you're right, he's definitely versatile. What do you say we just delete this whole discussion? There was no need for it in the first place. Garrettk41 21:41, 9 April 2009 (UTC) :::::We try not to blank discussions on the Wiki, and this wasn't especially heated (not on my end). No hard feelings, Garrett. But it does show (and I think I'll add this to the policy page) that outside of correcting vandalism and the like, all performer changes, when more than one editor has worked on that page, need at least an edit summary (if based on unquestionable evidence like credits, scripts, presskits, interviews, etc.) or a talk page as well (if based on guesses and vocal identification). Something we're all guilty of (self included), so it's good to be reminded now and then. -- Andrew Leal (talk) 21:45, 9 April 2009 (UTC)